Bohls: Sarkisian obviously trusts his playmakers, and No. 7 Texas has lots of them

FORT WORTH — Facing a pivotal third-and-12 while protecting a three-point lead, Steve Sarkisian resorted to what he always does.

He trusted his playmakers.

Boy, does he have playmakers.

In this case, the Texas head coach turned to two of his best to successfully convert the play of the game and keep the No. 7 Longhorns (9-1) in the thick of the national championship race with their fourth consecutive win.

Now he's going to need another one since news came Sunday that likely All-American tailback Jonathon Brooks had torn the ACL in his right knee and regrettably will be lost for the season. Hello, CJ Baxter and Jaydon Blue.

On Saturday, however, Sarkisian trusted Quinn Ewers in crunch time and let his veteran quarterback pass from his own end zone when so many coaches would have been more than content to keep the ball on the ground, play it safe and keep the clock running.

He called a pass for one of his two best receivers and trusted Adonai Mitchell to make the first down-producing catch and quell TCU’s furious comeback.

And why not?

Ewers wasn’t always in sync on a chilly night at Amon G. Carter Stadium, but he is 13-5 in his 18 starts, is one of just 11 quarterbacks completing more than 70% of their passes and plays with a composure befitting his stature. Saturday’s was his fourth 300-yard game of the season in eight games.

Mitchell showed up on campus last spring, made a spectacular catch in the spring game and hasn’t let up. His ninth touchdown of the year came Saturday and was the fifth score in the past four games for the sure-handed receiver.

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“I saw one-on-one to AD, so let’s go give ’em a shot,” Ewers said. “That usually works in our favor. It was cool to see him come down with the ball.”

So when the lights were the brightest, Ewers produced a beautifully thrown, back-shoulder deep ball that only Mitchell could have caught, a 35-yard gain that the Georgia transfer hauled in while falling down. Ewers lofted the ball down the sideline, and cornerback Avery Helm had his back to the line of scrimmage as he attempted to run stride for stride with Mitchell, who hauled in the pass.

Three runs after Mitchell’s heroics, the clock had wound down to zero, and Texas’ ninth win of the year was sealed with yet another treacherous ending that has kept its fans on the edge of their seats and the Longhorns on the edge of clinching a spot in the Big 12 championship game next month.

“It’s huge,” Texas star receiver Xavier Worthy said of Ewers’ presence. “It’s great for him to be back out there. I felt he was just as comfortable as when he left.”

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The good and the bad sides of Texas football

Never mind that for the third time in four weeks, these stress-inducing Longhorns had blown at least a 20-point lead, only to hang on this time for a 29-26 victory over the hard-charging Horned Frogs. Texas led 26-6 entering the fourth quarter, then had to withstand TCU’s rally.

It’s becoming old hat for the Horns, but holding off one big comeback after another against Houston, Kansas State and now TCU is nothing new these days.

Neither is the fact that this is a team chock full of diverse weapons, a list that’s growing by the day. Mitchell has been a standout all season. And although he had just three catches for 61 yards, one was for a 6-yard touchdown, another followed his teammates’ goal-line stand and gave the offense some breathing room beyond Texas’ end zone, and the last wrapped up the game.

New faces made big plays, too

But there were other playmakers. With this team, there always are.

Nose tackle Trill Carter, a senior transfer from Minnesota, got his first sack of the year.

Cornerback Terrance Brooks intercepted a pass for the second time in three games.

Baxter, the true freshman from Orlando, Fla., stepped off 61 yards on 18 carries and will be needed in a greater capacity next weekend against Iowa State since Brooks went down in the fourth quarter with his knee injury, which will sideline him for the rest of the season and most likely a large portion, if not all, of next season. He was examined in the medical tent and walked gingerly with help to the locker room, only to learn the sad news Sunday afternoon.

However, the running back position might be Texas' best-stocked position group since it has an explosive rookie in Baxter, the 6-foot-1, 218-pounder who has run for 390 yards with a 4.5 yards-per-carry average and has caught a dozen balls for 61 yards on the season. Blue, the 6-foot, 191-pound sophomore, has been third string but very capable with 167 yards on 29 carries with a touchdown.

Keilan Robinson, the senior speedster who transferred from Alabama, wasn't used Saturday and has just seven attempts for 49 yards. But Sarkisian might give some looks to Savion Red, the receiver-turned-running back who has been used as a quarterback in the wildcat formation with mixed reviews.

But Texas does have options to keep this ugly turn of events from becoming disastrous.

And then there’s the usual Worthy show, this time with 10 catches for 137 yards. And Bert Auburn’s clutch field goal after clutch field goal. And Jordan Whittington’s strip of the ball on TCU nickel back Millard Bradford’s interception return for a key Texas fumble recovery. “He’s an invaluable piece for what we do,” an appreciative Sarkisian said.

You also have to include the major impact from freshmen such as linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. and underclassmen defensive backs Michael Taaffe, Jaylon Guilbeau, Malik Muhammad and Derek Williams Jr. Heck, Taaffe has been so sensational, he made news Saturday for not intercepting a pass because he had a pick in the previous three games.

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“This team has a passion, not for their own stats, but for how good they want to see this team do,” senior middle linebacker Jaylan Ford said. “Every week guys are stepping up, and it’s not the same persons every time.”

Hardly.

Ewers was making his return to the field after spraining his right shoulder against Houston and missing two full games. No sweat. Redshirt freshman Maalik Murphy filled the void, playing every snap against BYU and Kansas State and led Texas to a pair of victories in Ewers’ absence.

Would Sarkisian have had the guts to let Murphy throw that ball on third-and-12 from deep in Texas territory with the game on the line?

“I don’t answer hypotheticals,” Sarkisian said.

Fortunately, he didn’t have to answer for real because Ewers stayed upright, had a commendable performance and kept Texas in this chase for its first CFP berth.

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Ewers was more than adequate. He was efficient and came up big when he had to.

“I don’t know if I could have asked much more from him,” Sarkisian said. “He stayed in the pocket. He made critical throws. Sure, there were some plays he could have made better, but if you had told me he was going to go 22-of-33 for 317, I’d have taken it every day of the week.”

Considering how the Horned Frogs came storming back, as every Texas opponent seemingly does, Sarkisian is going to need all hands on deck the remainder of the schedule.

But as troubling as these second-half fades have become, this coaching staff also deserves credit for building the immense depth it has on the roster. It’s already paid dividends at quarterback and defensive back and now has to at running back.

And Ewers’ shoulder?

“It’s all right,” Texas' understated quarterback said. “It gets better every day.”

And if not, Murphy will be right there to pick him up.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Ewers, Mitchell and Worthy star, but Texas is loaded with weapons